The day, organized by the Directorate of Innovation, Development and Technology Transfer of the Universidad Católica del Maule, included activities aimed at showing and promoting entrepreneurship from the classroom.
The UCM’s Directorate of Innovation, Development and Technology Transfer held a seminar that addressed ventures that start in universities.
The activity, which brought together researchers, students and representatives of companies and public bodies, initiated the «Innovation Day» at the San Miguel campus.
«Events like these foster the credibility we need in the productive sector to generate alliances. All networks require a basis of trust,» said Dr. Claudio Rojas, the campus rector, who led the day along with the vice-rector for Research and Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Hernán Maureira.
The director of the DIDTT, Fabiola Loyola, highlighted the growth of the units that make up her directorate.
«We are very proud. When we started with the Transfer and Licensing Office in 2011 we had a dream that seemed far away: to get at least one patent for an innovation of our academics. Today we have eight patents granted and 32 applications in process. The Innovation Platform, which arose with an InES project, came to strengthen our work and now there is no doubt that our university has a great capacity to innovate, transform crises into opportunities, and even anticipate needs for the development of the region and the country,» she said.
Simultaneously to the seminar–which included testimonials from leading figures in the entrepreneurship ecosystem such as Max Gallegos, director of the Technological Development of «Cobijo Sano», and Vicent Clement, head of operations of the Science Park at the University of Valencia–UCM held a fair with more than 20 different stands.
«I thought it was a very good event. I was able to share with many local entrepreneurs, academics, students, and companies. As well as talk, see, and understand scientific and technological entrepreneurship», said the executive director of Hub APTA, Varinka Farren, who gave a talk as a mentor for entrepreneurship and changing our mindset.
Recycling as a profitable business
Mateo Rubio, general manager of «Cáscara Foods», a startup that seeks to combat food waste in Chile, revealed how it went from a brilliant idea to a profitable business.
«It was a rational process. We started by investigating a big problem like food waste and, little by little, through research and university work, we narrowed it down to the problem of agro-industrial by-products and losses in the juice industry,» he said.
Since its creation six years ago, Cáscara Foods has recycled more than 90 tons of fruit, receiving the Avonni National Award in 2019, in the Healthy Food category.
«Globally, up to 40% of food is wasted, which has a giant environmental impact and damages the economy, because they are resources that are not used for anything. We work with agro-industrial companies that have fruit pulps to spare and transform them into new products such as supplements and snacks, using the nutrients that are hidden in these raw materials that used to be wasted,» he said.
«The path to entrepreneurship is not easy,» he added, «and it requires a lot of resilience. The good thing is that there is more support now, coming from the State, universities, and sometimes professors themselves. So, it is possible.»
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